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Sous vide isn’t a fad because it was created back in 1971 by two French chefs, Bruno Goussault and George Pralus, as a way to produce consistent and flavorful meals.
Also known as vacuum cooking, sous vide has been around for decades. Its recent popularity is skyrocketing as more people realize the benefits sous vide offers.
Sous vide solves a problem chefs have been facing forever; consistency. Even professionals struggle to emulate the doneness of two pieces of steak perfectly. So how can hobbyists like you and I stand any chance?
Below, I’ll talk about why sous vide cooking isn’t a fad and how you can use it to produce tastier meals.
How Does Sous Vide Work
Before we can understand why sous vide isn’t a fad, we must first learn how it works.
While stoves and ovens heat your food directly, sous vide heats the water around your food to a specific temperature.
The problem with direct heating is that your heat source is well over the ideal temperature you want your food at. For example, traditional stoves go as high as 450 degrees Fahrenheit, so leaving your steak in the pan for too long will burn it.
Fortunately, sous vide doesn’t require you to remove your steak at the perfect time. The immersion circulator heats your food to the ideal temperature and keeps it there. So you can leave your food in the sous vide bath for hours after it’s done without having to worry about overcooking it.
Here’s Why Sous Vide Cooking Isn’t A Fad
Now that we know how sous vide works, here are three reasons why it’s here to stay:
- It produces consistent meals
- The taste is better
- It saves time
It Produces Consistent Results
The reason you’ll find most restaurants using sous vide machines to cook their meats and vegetables is due to the consistency.
For instance, when a customer asks for a medium rare steak and the chef leaves it on the stove for a few seconds too long, it can ruin the steak, and the customer might send it back.
But with sous vide, all you have to do is pop your meat in at a specific temperature, and you’re guaranteed good results.
This improves your cooking experience too. If you struggle to achieve the right doneness with a stove, sous vide can help by cooking your steak at the temperature it’s supposed to be at.
The Taste Is Better
You’ll also notice that sous vide meals are far tastier than anything cooked with direct heat.
This is because frying and boiling at high temperatures can cause your food to lose its texture and flavor.
Sous vide also allows your meals to marinate while cooking, which is almost impossible with other forms of cooking. I like to pop my meats or vegetables in a sous vide plastic bag, add olive oil, salt, and pepper, and the flavors will soak into my food.
If you leave your food in the sous vide bath a few hours after cooking, it’ll have extra time to absorb the spices.
It Saves Time
An underrated benefit of sous vide is the time you save. Most new chefs that try sous vide think it’s time-consuming, and while the setup process takes some getting used to, you won’t have to spend time flipping your meats and roasting your vegetables.
Instead of slaving away over a stove, you can run errands, catch up on work, or spend time with family, all while your meal is cooking.
How Can I Sous Vide Meals?
Thinking about giving sous vide a shot? Awesome! Simply follow our three-step guide, and you’ll be well on your way to preparing the best meals:
- Heat your sous vide bath
- Prepare your food
- Let it rest
Heat Your Sous Vide Bath
The first step is heating your sous vide bath. For this, you’ll need an immersion circulator. Luckily these bad boys are quite affordable, as you can get one with all the bells and whistles for less than $100 on Amazon.
Depending on your cooking, you’ll have to heat your bath to various temperatures. Many sous vide machines have a chart showing the temperature needed for each meal and vegetable. If your machine doesn’t have it, Google is your friend.
Once your bath is up to temperature, it’s time to prepare your meal.
Prepare Your Food
Now comes the fun stuff. Marinate your steak, chicken, fish, or vegetables with your favorite spices and place them into a sous vide bag and vacuum seal it.
I’d suggest adding some olive oil and butter when putting your food in the plastic bag because it’ll prevent it from sticking.
Let It Rest
The last step is letting your bag rest in the bath. From here, you can run errands and finish up on your to-do list for the day while your meal cooks.
I like popping my dinner in the sous vide bath first thing in the morning. I’ll head to work, and a delicious dinner will be waiting for me when I come home.
But if you’re cooking steak, you’ll notice it looks gray and bland after you remove it from the bath. This is normal because you’ll have to sear it to get that beautiful crust. So place your steak in a hot skillet with butter for two minutes on each side, and enjoy!
Final Thoughts On Is Sous Vide A Fad
Sous vide isn’t a fad because it solves one of our biggest problems: consistency.
When using direct heat, your heat source is far hotter than what you want your food to be. So if you don’t remove it at the perfect moment, it’ll burn.
But when you cook sous vide style, you heat the water around your food to the temperature you want your food at. So once your food reaches the ideal temperature, it stays there. This results in a perfect meal every time.
